The presence of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi on surfaces with which the general population comes into contact every day can put the population at risk for developing numerous illnesses and diseases. For instance, these microorganisms can be present on surfaces in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, restaurants, grocery stores, kitchens, bathrooms, gyms, etc. One approach to clean these surfaces is to kill and/or remove the microorganisms via the use of sprays or solutions containing detergents, biocides, antibiotics, or other chemicals. However, although the detergents, biocides, antibiotics, or other chemicals used can be successful in killing or removing the microorganisms from the surface, exposure to these chemicals can be harmful. Further, these chemicals may not be “green” and could pose a threat to the environment. Moreover, increased use of such chemicals can lead to the microorganisms having increased resistance to detergents, biocides, antibiotics, and other chemicals. Additionally, over time, the use of such chemicals can corrode or damages the surfaces to which they are applied.
To alleviate the aforementioned problems with using chemicals for the removal of microorganisms, another approach has been to attempt to remove the microorganisms without the use of chemicals, such as by ionization or the use of electric currents. However, these approaches require that a high voltage of from about 5 kilovolts to about 25 kilovolts be applied and/or that the voltage be applied for a long time period, such as up to about 24 hours. Such high voltage can be dangerous in a consumer setting for household use, and requiring application of the voltage over such a long time period is not an effective or efficient method of removing microorganisms from a surface.
In light of the above, a need exists for a system and method of removing microorganisms from a surface without the use of antibiotics, biocides, or other chemical treatments and without the application of high voltages for extended periods of time.